Washing machines having magnetically actuated diaphragms



Jan. 8, 1957 A. VANG 2,776,558

WASHING MACHINES HAVING MAGNETICALLY ACTUA'IED DIAPHRAGMS Original Filed Aug. 22, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z. rfi Magma BY W ATTO RN EY Jan. 8, 1957 A. VANG 2,776,558

WASHING MACHINES HAVING MAGNETICALLY ACTUATED DIAPHRAGMS Original Filed'Aug. 22, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR AZFAL'D V/M/G.

ATTORNEY WASHING MACHINES HAVING MAGNETICALLY ACTUATED DIAPHRAGMS Alfred Vang, Carmel, Califi, assignor of one-half to George Hart, Carmel, Calif.

Substituted for. abandoned application Serial No, 550,521, August 22, 1944. This application August 6, 1953, Serial No. 372,633 I Claims. (CI. 68-53) This is a substitute application for theabandoned application Serial Number 550,521, filed August 22, 1944, which became abandoned prior to the filing of this application. i

This invention relates to washing machines having magnetically actuated diaphragm, and, to means and methods for enhancing the cleaning action, of solvents and emulsifiers, and more particularly. it pertains to apparatus and devices for. subjecting articlesto be cleansed and a cleansing liquid, to rapid agitation by a standing wave, though it may be noted that in some of the claims the invention is not limited to cleaning machines.

One object of the inventionis to provide an improved device or apparatus ofi this kind which completely eliminates the use of rotating parts, thereby preventing delicate fabrics from. being torn and which doesfnot in any way subject the article to a gritting or tearing action.

Other objects or". the invention are to provide an improved device of. this kind which will simultaneously vibrate the liquid and articles, and force a number of fine streams of air through the liquid, was to fluff the. articles.

Additional objects of the invention are to.eifect, simplicity and eiiiciency in such methods and. apparatus, and to provide an extremely simple device or, apparatus, of this kind, which is economical, durable, andjreliable in operation, and economical to manufacture andinstall,

Still other objects of the invention will; appear as the description proceeds; and While herein details or, the in: vention are described inthe specification and some of he claims, the invention, as, described, in, the broader claims is not limited to these, and various changes. may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as claimed in the broaderclaims. A

The inventive features for the accomplishment of these and other objects are shown hereinf in connection with' a device for imparting motion to a mixture of articles and liquid, which brictiy'stated, includes means for. confining a. liquid in intimate contact with articles, to be cleaned, and means for impartingvibratorjmotionto the liqiiid. The device may be used wherever relativemotion between solid articles and liquids is desired, such as theaforesaid cleaning, as well as dyeing operations, solutior of solids in. liquids, the washing of. solids havingdissolved material occluded or associated therewith, or. the impregnating of solids with liquids.

In the accompanying drawing showing, by way of ex ample, several of many possible embodiments of the invention, and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts;

Figure l is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, showing a portable agitator and tub.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, partly in'elevation, showing the agitator mounted in a tuh'to produce a flow of air.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, partly diagrammatic, showing another form of portable agitator.

United States Patent Ofli 2,776,558 Patented Jan. 8, 1957 Figure 4 is a sectional view, partly diagrammatic, showing an agitator having two diaphragms; and

Figure 5 is a modification. of the invention as shown in Figure 4.

The invention, as shown in Figure 1, comprises a laundry tub 10 adapted to contain a cleaning liquid 11, such as a soap solutionor dry-cleaning fluid, and articles 12 to be cleaned, immersed therein. An agitator 14 disposed on the bottom 15. of said tub and, immersed in the liquid for the agitation of the articles and liquid. The said agitator 14 comprises a cylindrical housing body 15', having a bottom 16 and covered by a cover piece 18 fastened water-tight on the upper end of said body as by bolts 19. The peripheral portions 20 of the cover piece 18 are extended upwardly and outwardly and terminate as an, annular horizontal flange 21, upon which 2. diaphragm 22, either solid as shown in Figure l, or perforated, as later shown, of rubber, metal, plastic, or other suitable materialis disposed. A mounting ring 24 is disposed on the peripheral margin of the diaphragm and the flange; the diaphragm and ring are secured together as by bolts 2 5, provided with wing nuts for the facile removal of: the diaphragm to permit removal of dirt thereunder.

A reciprocatory actuating rod 26, depending from the center of the, diaphragm is secured to the latter by any suitable means, such. as a stud bolt 28 and wing nut, and passes downwardly through a stuifing box 29, provided in the central portion of the cover piece 18. An armature 30 secured to the lower end ofv therod 26 is actuated by an electromagnet. 31 disposed within the housing 15' and mounted on the bottom 16 thereof, as by screws 32; said electromagnet having upwardly projecting poles 34 near and under said armature 30, whereby the magnet may attract or repel the armature,,and thus cause the latter to vertically reciprocate the rod and cause the diaphragm to vibrate, so that the cleaning fluid may be caused to vibrate ina standing wave and subject the article to be cleaned to a continuous agitation. Current is applied to the magnet by a suitable waterproof cable 35, connected to. the coilsof the magnet and passing via a water-tightseal throughthe housing as at 36.

It is of course, preferable that all surfaces coming in contact with the articles be. smoothly finished, so that there is substantially no danger of articles becoming caught on projections when the articles are being agitated or removed from the tub. The peripheral extensions 20 may be circumferentially continuous,'in which instance the articles to be cleaned will be prevented from coming in contact, with the'rod26 and stutiing box 29, thus eliminating any danger of the articles being caught or darnaged, A hole 38 may be provided, preferably at the lowest point of the cover piece 18, toequalize water pres sure on, both sides or" the diaphragm and to prevent the accumulation of slime. 'Alternatively, the extensions 20 may take the for'm of several arms.

In another form of the invention, as shown in Figure 2, the tub 81 may be divided into upper and lowersections or, compartments 39, ltlpthe upper section being provided with an outstanding flange 41'at its lower end, the lower section with a mating similar flange 42 at its upper end.

A diaphragm 82 provided with fine perforations 44 is disposed intermediate of the two compartments, and the three are tightly fastened together by bolts 45, so that the diaphragm 82 serves asa false bottom for the tub.

The perforations 44 of the diaphragm are very small and serve to permit a passage of air through the diaphragm from the lower compartment 40, which may be air-tight and contain air under pressure. The perforationsiare. sosmall that liquid in the. upper compartment 39 will not appreciably permeate the diaphragm, es-

pecially against the air pressure from below. Fine meshed molybdenum wire gauze, which may also be used as diaphragm material, will not allow an appreciable passage of water even under relatively high pressure. The side walls of the lower compartment may be provided with air inlet valves 46, such as of the Borsig type or any other suitable valve for controlling a unidirectional fiow of air from the exterior of the tub to the lower compartment 40. A Bersig valve is illustrated and described in Marks-Mechanical Engineers Handbook, first edition, McGraw-Hill Book Company Inc., New York, pages 1518 and 1519.

The vibrator 14' of Figure 2 is in general similar to that of Figure 1. The extensions 20 of Figure 1 of the housing cover may be omitted from the cover piece 18; and since the vibrator is normally not immersed in water, a stutfing box is not altogether necessary herein, but may be replaced by a rubber lined bearing 29 to exclude moisture from the interior of the housing. Of course, any suitable means may be provided to allow passage of rod 26 through the cover 18, such as those described in Figure 1. In the modification of the invention, according to Figure 2, the actuating rod 84 is preferably not fixed to the diaphragm 82, but is continuously urged against the latter by means of a compressed helical spring 48, disposed about the upwardly projecting end portion of the rod 26; one end of the spring being disposed against the outer end of the bearing 29 and the other against a collar 49 fastened on the upper end of the rod 84. The vibrator housing is preferably fixedly mounted on the tub bottom, as by screws 50, and a hole 51, may be provided in said bottom to drain any liquid from the housing to the exterior of the tub.

In operation, a suitable source of current, preferably alternating, is connected to the magnet 99, thereby causing the diaphragm to vibrate vertically. On an upward movement of the diaphragm 82, a partial vacuum is caused in the lower compartment 40, due to the high resistance of air flow through the perforations, thereby opening the valves 46 and allowing air to enter therein; on the downward movement of the diaphragm, the valves close and air is forced through the perforations 44 and enters the liquid 11 thereabove. Simultaneously, the liquid 11 is vibrating and being impacted and agitated against the articles 12. Since liquids are substantially incompressible and their inertia to rapid vibration is great, the energy of the vibrator is largely transmitted to all surfaces of the articles, and particles of dirt are removed mechanically in a manner somewhat similar to conventional rubbing.

The passage of air up through the diaphragm 82 greatly enhances the formation of foam on the liquid above the diaphragm, so that when dirt particles are dislodged from the articles they may be removed from the vicinity thereof by flotation. Should the perforations 44 become stopped or blocked, or should a solid diaphragm, such as 22 in Figure 1 be used, the air may be by-passed to the upper compartment 39, by means of a tube 52, establishing through ports 54, 55 communication between both compartments. The tube is provided with a check valve 80 to prevent loss of liquid from the upper compartment. Of course, the tube and ports may be omitted if desired.

The described washing machines, while particularly adapted to home use and operating on a 60 cycle alternating current, may also be used to considerable advantage by commercial cleaners and on high frequency current. A number of tubs may be charged with individual lots of material to be cleaned and placed on conveyor belts and successively passed under soap streams and then under rinsing streams, so that separate lots may be handled in a continuous operation with a minimum of labor. The'embodiment, according to Figure 2, is alsov especially adapted to the fiuliing and partial drying of clothing, as after the liquid has been removed from the tub, the impacts of the diaphragm will cause the clothing to vibrate and the passage of air will aid in the drying.

In another form of the invention, as shown in Figure 3, the agitator 14a may be manually held and handled somewhat as a mop in an ordinary tub, so that the ar ticles may be generally stirred about in the liquid to expose various surfaces to the vibratory agitation. However, cleaning action may also be accomplished by merely disposing the agitator within the liquid in any convenient manner.

In such a modification, a substantially water-tight cylindrical hollow housing 15a, preferably of light material, is open at one end over and on which a vibrating diaphragm or membrane 92, provided with perforations, is secured. A reciprocatory rod 84 suitably mounted, engages the inner face of said membrane and is adapted to be actuated by magnetic means 100, secured within the housing, whereby said membrane may be vibrated. A long hollow handle 60 is mounted on said housing; the hollow of the handle being in communication with the hollow of the housing 15a, to permit a passage of air through the handle into said housing and out through the membrane. Suitable valve means, such as a check valve 61 renders said passage substantially unidirectional. Lead wires 35 to the magnetic means pass through the hollow handle, so that the handle serves the triple function of supporting the housing, enclosing the leads, and forming an air duct. The upper end of the handle may be finished off in any suitable manner for convenience, which still permits air to enter the handle, so that air may be continually drawn into the housing both for producing an air spray through the diaphragm and for cooling the magnetic means 100.

Only one end of the housing may be covered by a diaphragm, so that the handle may be mounted on the opposite end, as shown in Figure 3, or each end may be provided with a membrane 92, as in Figures 4 and 5, and the handle mounted onthe side walls 56 of the housing 96 in the housing Figure 4 and 97 in the housing 5. The handle may assume any suitable shape and may be curved as at 86 in Figure 4, or straight as in Figures 3 and 5. The actuating rod may engage opposite diaphragms, as shown by 94 in Figure 4, or two mechanically independent rods 26 may be used, as shown in Figure 5.

It is obvious that slight changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the several parts, as shown, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not therefore, wish to limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement shown and described herein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In combination, a tub divided into upper and lower sections, the upper section being provided with an outstanding flange at its lower end, the lower section with a mating flange at its upper end, a perforated horizontal diaphragm disposed fluid-tight intermediate of the two flanges and forming a false bottom for said tub, and side walls of the lower section being provided with one way air valves for permitting a unidirectional flow of air through the valves from the exterior to the interior of the lower section, a hollow housing body in the lower section and having a bottom secured to the true bottom of the tub and open at the upper end, a cover-piece water-tight on the upper end of the body and provided with an axially vertical bearing opening therethrough substantially under the center of the diaphragm, means to reciprocate said diaphragm comprising an actuating rod, said actuating rod passing through said bearing and adapted to be vertically reciprocated therein, a collar on outer end of the rod against the lower face of the diaphragm, and means within the housing for reciprocating the rod and diaphragm.

2. In combination, a laundry tub having an upstanding wall portion provided with a horizontal annular flange, a substantially cylindrical housing body on the bottom of said tub; said body being open at the top, a cover piece provided with an axially vertical bearing and. mounted on said body and having an upstanding peripheral portion provided with a horizontal annular flange, an electromagnet having upwardly projecting poles in said body and mounted on the bottom thereof, an actuating rod passing substantially water-tight through said bearing and adapted to reciprocate vertically therein, an armature fast on the inner end of said rod and above said poles, a horizontal circular diaphragm of molybdenum wire gauze having a weave tight enough to prevent a passage of water therethrough within the tub and engaging the outer end of the rod substantially at the center of the diaphragm and having the peripheral marginal portion of the diaphragm mounted on the flange of one of said upstanding portions.

3. A washing machine comprising a tub divided into upper and lower sections, the upper section being provided with an outstanding flange at its lower end and the lower section with a mating flange at its upper end, a diaphragm disposed fluid-tight with respect to and intermediate of the two flanges and forming a false bottom for said tub, said diaphragm being provided with fine perforations small enough to prevent a passage of water therethrough and large enough to permit a passage of air, valve means in the side walls of the lower section of the tub enabling unidirectional flow of air from the exterior to the interior of the lower section, and means within the lower section for reciprocating the diaphragm.

4. A washing machine comprising a tub divided into upper and lower sections, the upper section being provided with an outstanding flange at its lower end, the lower section with a mating flange at its upper end, a

6 diaphragm intermediate of the two flanges and forming a false bottom for said tub, bolts having wing nuts passing through said diaphragm and flanges, a vertically reciprocatory rod in the lower section engaging the lower face of the diaphragm and separable therefrom, and means for reciprocating the rod, whereby upon removal of the bolts, the upper section and the false bottom may be lifted from the lower section and rod, and the upper section dumped of its contents.

5. A washing machine comprising in combination a tub divided into upper and lower sections, the upper section being provided with an outstanding flange at its lower end, the lower section with a mating flange at its upper end, a diaphragm disposed fluid-tight with respect to and intermediate of the two flanges and forming a false bottom for said tub, said diaphragm being provided with fine perforations small enough to prevent a passage of water therethrough and large enough to permit a passage of air, the side walls of the lower section of the tub being provided with air check valves for a unidirectional flow of air from the exterior to the interior of the lower section, and reciprocatory means within the lower section for reciprocating the diaphragm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 654,647 Koppelmann July 31, 1900 912,107 Froese Feb. 9, 1909 1,631,630 Gensley June 7, 1927 1,718,115 Covert June 18, 1929 1,908,033 Liva May 9, 1933 1,909,232 Soroka May 16, 1933 2,037,568 Emmerling Apr. 14, 1936 2,203,479 Witwer June 4, 1940 2,223,348 Boedeker Dec. 3, 1940 2,699,592 Newnam Jan. 18, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 114,930 Germany Nov. 24, 1900 691,392 France July 8, 1930 

